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December 05, 2017

Posted by: Alix Emden

Author: Ranju Sharma, one of Medic's Regional Designers based in Asia, and Alix Emden Medic's Admin Associate on the Global Team.

The goal of this initiative is to demonstrate ways in which inclusive digital solutions can support people with low literacy levels to develop digital skills and ultimately improve livelihoods. It aligns with Sustainable Development Goal #4 which aims to “ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all”. The partnership with Pearson and UNESCO is part of the Project Literacy movement and highlights the advantages and necessity of incorporating technology into the overall strategy to achieve this goal by 2030.

Out of 130 applications from 60 countries around the world, Medic Mobile’s work in rural Nepal was selected alongside 14 other initiatives. Since 2013 we have worked alongside One Heart World Wide and the Ministry of Health to train Nepal’s existing network of female community health volunteers (FCHVs) to use Medic Mobile’s SMS-based mHealth system to provide counseling and follow up with the women during pregnancy regarding ANC visits and safe delivery.

Information technology is changing the way that the world communicates and receives information. With progress constantly being made it is essential that individuals are not left behind when shifting into the future, particularly when working in health care. Within such shifts into the future of digital literacy, Medic works hard to ensure that our toolkit is inclusive, accessible and easy to use across users with various levels of digital skills and literacy levels.

Medic Mobile’s work in Nepal was selected primarily because of our human-centered approach to building technologies in partnership with our end users that cater to their unique needs and values, and the proven effectiveness of our technologies among users with low traditional and technical literacy.

The first five case studies in the series were published on International Literacy Day on September 8th. This first set highlighted inspiring work from organizations including as Literacy Bridge, Village Reach, hearX Group, and Jayalaxmi Agro Tech (JAT). Medic Mobile’s case study has just been published in the second batch. Ultimately, these case studies serve to provide data for the upcoming UNESCO guidelines on how to develop inclusive digital solutions spanning over a range of areas. We are honored to be included in such an important set of case studies.